


aeonian ardor

by ari_lee



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Blind Character, Doctor Tsukishima Kei, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gang Leader Kuroo, Guide Dog, I'll add more tags as i go, M/M, Past Character Death, currently tsukki centric, just kidding, kuroo is a stalker, oc hospital patients, they're not important tho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-18 22:57:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14223645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ari_lee/pseuds/ari_lee
Summary: Tsukishima merely snorts derisively. “A stranger asking a blind person to follow them? Do you take me for an idiot?” Tsukishima laughs before whistling and Yori barks as he starts tugging him along the path. This time, the stranger doesn’t bother him and he leaves peacefully. After all, his coffee is waiting for him and he’s sure Yori will appreciate a treat.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Shoutout to Nesmah_Rozinov for beta reading this for me <3 <3
> 
> Enjoy!

The cold rain pours down onto Tsukishima’s shoulders. His head is covered by a hat, and a warm sweater engulfs him, although it’s soaked by water now. He smells the fresh scent of the rain and absentmindedly lets the water drip from between his fingers. It cools his sweaty skin, and he wonders if there is a god somewhere watching over him.

If he had one wish, he would wish for his eyesight back.

A warm lump of fur presses against his leg and he carefully kneels down next to his dog. A bark reaches his ears and he stretches his hand out and searches until he finds wet fur. “Good boy,” he murmurs and something wet licks his face. He stands up, holding tightly onto the leash that's attached to his wrist and stares into the darkness. “Let's go home Yori.”

With a cheerful bark, the golden retriever leads Tsukishima down the slippery pavement, neither of them caring about the freezing rain. He knows that Akiteru will certainly scold him when he gets home, but he can’t really muster the energy to worry about it.

After all, the weather reflects his mood perfectly.

-

“Kei!”

Just as he expected, Akiteru was not happy. “You should’ve bought an umbrella,” he shakes his head in despair. “You make more than enough money to afford a cheap umbrella, so why did you wander around in the rain?” He asks as he uses a towel to dry of Tsukishima’s hair as he sits on the couch. Yori shakes himself dry and Akiteru exclaims in surprise as he gets pelted with water.

“Too much work,” Akiteru grumbles. “I swear the clean up I have to do after you two is enough to kill me after a week.” Tsukishima knows that his brother doesn't mean anything he says and merely sits there in silence.

“I made you dinner, I’ll bring it over in a second,” Akiteru calls over his shoulder before he walks away. All Tsukishima can hear are receding footsteps. A bundle of wet fur presses against his side and Tsukishima presses his face into the wet fur, wrapping his arms around Yori. “I’m tired,” he mumbles. “I’m gonna sleep here, okay Yori?” He barks before settling his nose on Tsukishima’s leg. Tsukishima lets the darkness comfort him as he holds tightly onto Yori.

Akiteru walks in with a plate and sighs as he sees and believes that his brother is asleep. “Another day without dinner, hm?” He says aloud to the silence before he sits down next to his brother. He sinks into the couch and is tempted to fall asleep here as well but knows he can't. He has work to do. Akiteru cards Tsukishima’s curls gently and wishes there was more he could do for him.

“You know I’d do anything for you, right?” He says softly. There's no response except for a quiet breath and Akiteru leaves to let Tsukishima sleep.

When his brother is out of sight, Tsukishima lets the tears escape his eyes. Even now, he’s plagued by dark thoughts. No matter where he goes or hides, he will never be free of the chains that weigh him down. Simply sitting here is no longer an option for him with the cloud of thoughts swirling around in his head.

He slowly sits up, regretting that he let his brother leave. Eating isn't an easy task but he doesn't want to bother his brother. Reaching out blindly is dangerous as there's a good chance he might knock over his dinner by accident. Nonetheless he reached out delicately and manages to find his spoon without knocking anything over. A sniff tells him that it's curry and he remembers that his dinner might be stolen if he's not careful.

“Yori. Go eat your dinner,” he commands, and he kind of regrets it once his personal heater leaves. He can safely eat his dinner now though so he carefully holds the plate in his lap and eats at the pace of a snail. It takes him a hundred years to finish off a single plate, but at least he's managed to finish it alone this time. It's humiliating when Akiteru has to feed him because a mess is unavoidable.

It takes like dirt in his mouth. Everything he eats has been tasteless for a while now. The only reason food goes down into his stomach is so he won't end up in the hospital again.He feels for the table in front of him and sets the plate down. He's long gotten used to his ailment but it doesn't mean he enjoys it. The house suddenly feels stuffy and Tsukishima suddenly wants to escape the house. He's sure Yori has finished eating by now so he whistles twice, signaling that he's about to go out. Feet come pattering towards him and a leash is placed into his waiting hand.

“Good boy,” he praises dully but Yori seems to appreciate it as he lets out a little yip. He gets led towards the door and he grabs the umbrella from the stand Akiteru made for him specifically.

It's only drizzling lightly outside now, and no one is there to stop him so he doesn't use his umbrella. He's in the mood for coffee so he whistles the pattern for the usual coffee place he goes to. The leash in his hand starts tugging in a certain direction so he follows it, his trust ever solid in his faithful companion. He hears footsteps resounding quickly towards him but continues walking forward without fear. He’s sure the other person will avoid him, as Tsukishima is visibly tagged as disabled.

He’s wrong. Something solid and hard crashes into him and he tumbles to the ground.

Somewhere along the fall he loses the leash in his hand since he forgot to attach it to his wrist. A scowl finds its way onto his face and he sits up, ignoring the throbbing pain in his butt and his knees. “Watch where you’re going,” Tsukishima says coldly before snapping his fingers twice and holding his hand out. The leash is placed obediently into his hand but much to his surprise, it’s not covered with slobber like usual.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking,” a smooth voice apologizes to him. “Are you alright?” Tsukishima takes the leash and stands up, unknowingly ignoring the hand that was offered to him. A sharp breath comes from the person in front of him. “You’re blind,” he says with an apologetic voice. At least, Tsukishima assumes he's male because of his voice quality. “Great deduction,” he says sarcastically. “Excuse me, I’m busy.”

He moves to leave but a large hand grasps his arm. Tsukishima flinches away, not having expected the warm touch. A spicy and earthy scent fills his nose and he recognizes it as cologne. “Let me buy something for you in exchange,” the man offers in a low voice. Tsukishima merely snorts derisively. “A stranger asking a blind person to follow them? Do you take me for an idiot?” Tsukishima laughs before whistling and Yori starts tugging him along the path. This time, the stranger doesn’t bother him and he leaves peacefully. After all, his coffee is waiting for him and he’s sure Yori will appreciate a treat.

The coffee shop radiates a wonderful scent and the soft aroma of all the desserts relaxes him. He orders his usual and is offered guidance to a table which he accepts. There’s only so much a dog can do for him. Yori’s wet snout is pressed against his leg as they wait for their dessert to come out.

Tsukishima easily forgets about the strange man as he enjoys his dessert. Since he comes here often it’s not as difficult to eat his treat with a fork as he’s practiced so much. The shortcake is delicious as usual and the coffee balances the sweetness out perfectly. It doesn't take him long to finish and he ends up sitting in silence, listening to the music. “I don’t want to go to work tomorrow,” he says to Yori, who is waiting obediently for him. He really deserves an award for putting up with Tsukishima all this time. “Do you think I can get away with it?” He barks and Tsukishima sighs. “You’re right, Ukai will be pissed off.”

His body tenses as he senses someone approaching him and slides into the seat across from him. However, Yori isn't barking like he usually does when someone approaches him and it hits him.

Yori hadn’t barked when the man had crashed into him earlier.

“What do you want?” He sighs. “There’s a reason you chased me down here right?” The man utters a sound of surprise. “How did you know it was me?” He asked curiously. A clink alerts Tsukishima to the fact the man had bought something. The coffee smell only reaffirms the fact. “Trade secret,” he says, shutting out any attempts the man makes to try and get friendly. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to leave,” he tries to excuse himself but once again he's stopped by a firm hand. “I’ll file charges,” Tsukishima warns with ire thick in his voice.

“Wait,” the man pleads. “I just...wanted to give you this coffee as an apology. That's all, I swear on my life.”

Tsukishima turns towards the direction of the voice. “Are you really willing to swear your life on it?” He asks tensely. The man doesn't answer him but he can feel his heavy gaze on him. After a few moments, the man starts laughing, which takes Tsukishima by surprise. “Most people would scoff and leave,” Tsukishima says wryly. “I guess that makes me special,” the man says and Tsukishima can imagine the smug smirk on his face. “Don’t think I’ll be taking that coffee,” Tsukishima deadpans. “I still don’t trust you.”

The man laughs and his laugh is unfairly attractive. Tsukishima does his best to keep his face neutral. “Since I’m still in one piece I’ll consider it forgiven and forgotten,” he opts to say before nudging Yori lightly with his leg. “Do me a favor and don’t come after me again. You’ll be doing me a favor by staying away.”

The cold farewell lingers in the air as Tsukishima exits the warm cafe, back into the cold air of the evening. A solemn thought crosses his mind. “Maybe it’s time we visited him. What do you think?” He asks aloud and a small whine confirms his answer. “You know the way,” Tsukishima whistles four times, sharp and clear. Yori’s ears go down in submission and he whimpers before trudging along the path.

If Tsukishima had his eyesight, he would have noticed that Yori’s mood was not unlike his own.

-

“I'm going out for work now,” Tsukishima calls into the kitchen. Akiteru doesn't answer, probably busy cleaning the dishes or cooking something. Regardless he steps out of his home, faithful companion at his side. He wishes that Yori could find a longer path to take to worth so he could waste time, but that wasn’t possible.

“You’re late,” Ukai barks at him the moment he steps into office. “I don’t care if you’re blind, you’re just as capable as anyone else so get those skinny legs of yours moving.” Tsukishima knew that he was lucky to have met Ukai, who didn’t discriminate against the disabled. There was a variety of people with either disorders or physical ailments at their private hospital.

Hinata Shouyou just has too much energy for him to handle, but it couldn’t be helped due to his ADHD. The bundle of energy he always seems to possess was simply too much for the average person to handle. On the other end of the spectrum, Kageyama Tobio has a personality disorder, where he switches between a normal dumb person and an obsessive, control freak. It was a minor disorder, not particularly endangering, but it is still off-putting to see him switch personas in a split second. Hinata was the only one who could handle Kageyama during his switches.

As for Ennoshita Chikara, he suffered a major accident and was more disabled and unable to walk. He’s unfortunately stuck for the rest of his life in a wheelchair but he has a determination to help other people like him. He’s friendly but not overbearing which makes him more tolerable than the rest of the people there. To be honest, Tsukishima owes a lot to him because Ennoshita is the one who initially brought him here.

There's too many people to properly list and he doesn’t know them all personally, but he knows they’re all afflicted in some way. He only really communicates with Sugawara, not by choice to be completely honest. The man forced his way into Tsukishima’s life, completely shattering the barriers he had put up with pure charm alone. Sugawara is also tolerable though, so he supposes it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

“You have a patient waiting for you,” Sugawara’s warm voice calls out to him gently. “Room 206. Can you get him there in one piece Yori?” Tsukishima refuses to acknowledge the fact that he might have smiled at their friendly interaction. A bark and the sound of a treat being crunched signals him to start moving in the direction Yori leads him.

“Hello,” Tsukishima greets out loud when he enters the room. “Hi,” a shy voice greets him. It's feminine and high pitched so he deduces that it's most likely a young girl. “I’m Kei,” he offers to the girl. A warm gentle hand guides him towards the young girl, and he instinctively knows that today, Narita is his helper. “I’m Ame,” she responds softly and he finds her hand with the help of Narita. She holds it with a nervous touch, and he squeezes it gently to reassure her before letting go. “What seems to be your problem?” He asks and she remains silent for a few moments. “Go on,” her mom encourages her and she takes a breath.

“My wrist hurts,” she blurts out loudly. “I was playing volleyball with my brother but my wrist did something funny and now it always hurts.” Tsukishima nods. “Can I examine your wrist?” He asks and she nods before remembering he can’t see it. She blushes and gives a verbal noise of confirmation. Narita leads his hand towards her wrist and he gently grasps it, turning it over in his hands and feels the tendons and muscles with skilled fingers. He diagnoses his patients through pure touch alone, but he’s particularly skilled in this field so he has plenty of confidence. “Let me know if it hurts,” he says lightly before he starts massaging his wrist and pushing at certain spots. When she whimpers he eases up on the pressure.

“You have a wrist sprain,” he states, letting go of her wrist. “It doesn’t seem to be severe but I’d like to put it in a split for you. Is that okay?” She fidgets slightly before her mom pats her back. “Okay,” she squeaks and Tsukishima’s lips upturn slightly. A roll is placed in his hand and he wraps it around her wrist skillfully. “Keep it elevated and ice it alright? It should heal in a few weeks and if it hurts more, come back and visit me okay?” As he moves to leave, something grabs his hand. It’s small and warm.

“Thank you,” the little girl says brightly. “You’re really pretty, doctor-san!” Unbeknownst to Tsukishima she’s blushing, but Tsukishima still appreciates her words. “I can’t quite see you, but I’m sure you’re pretty as well,” he says to her and a beaming smile appears on her face. “Thank you,” the mom bows towards him out of habit and Tsukishima nods before exiting the room. “You’ve really mellowed out Tsukishima,” Narita comments, nudging him playfully. “You were such a sassy student, and now you’re a doctor who the little girls have a crush on. So cool and mysterious,” he jokes and Tsukishima scowls without any real anger. “Shut up,” he mumbles and Narita laughs. “Room 210 next Yori,” Narita informs the guide dog and the pair proceed to make their daily rounds around the hospital.

At the end of the day Tsukishima is wiped out and wants to go home. Ukai pats him on the back on his way out. “Good job,” he praises. “You live up to your good reputation. On the way out a little girl was telling her mom about a pretty blonde doctor with a big dog,” he informs him with a smile. “You’re doing good.” Tsukishima ducks his head, a little embarrassed before taking his leave after muttering a simple ‘thanks’. The walk back home is pleasant but he senses that Yori is a little off today. He lets out slight whimpers once in a while and it worries him but he can’t do anything until he gets home where Akiteru is.

He’s sure that they’re nearly home but suddenly Yori stops and howls. Tsukishima kneels down and reaches out, trying to find his dog. He manages to find Yori’s body but flinches back as he’s bitten. It’s not hard enough to draw blood but it still stings. “Yori,” he calls, his voice sharp and crisp as he grasps his stinging hand. “Stop.” The howls die down into whimpers but he doesn’t move at all.

“It looks like you’re having some trouble,” a voice comments and a scowl emerges onto his face. “Go away,” Tsukishima says curtly and the man lets out a pouting noise. “I only wanna help you,” the man whines and Tsukishima hesitates because he really is in a dilemma and this man is probably the only way he’ll get home anytime soon. “Fine,” he relents. Tsukishima waits patiently as the man reaches out to Yori with a soft voice, cooing and whispering to him. A few minutes later the whimpers die down and Tsukishima sighs.

“Thanks.” He at least does owe the man his thanks for helping him out. “You can consider your debt repaid,” he adds dryly before standing up. He moves to leave and maybe he’s being really cold but he really doesn’t want to interact with this strange man. “Wait,” his pleading voice calls out to him and he’s stopped as his wrist is grabbed once again. “Can you stop grabbing my wrist?” Tsukishima says exasperatedly as he tugs himself away. “I already said you can go. Leave. I don’t want to hear your voice again.”

“Ouch. So cold hearted,” the man comments although he doesn’t really sound upset. “I just figured it would be safer to escort you home as your guide might act up again, no?” Tsukishima grimaces as the man does have a point. “Or you could be trying to find where I live,” Tsukishima points out with suspicion. “Since you seem to keep appearing in my life, maybe you just want to find out where I live so it’s easier for you to track me down.” He was probably just being ridiculous at this point but the man didn’t even sound fazed. “I swear, it’s not that,” the man simply stated. “I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

“You don’t even know me,” Tsukishima says. “You just accidentally knocked me over. Does that mean if you hit someone with a car, you would be their slave for the rest of your life?” This brings a laugh out of the man and Tsukishima tries to leave but he hears footsteps following behind him. “Fine!” He throws his hands in the air. “I give up. Do whatever you want.” He whistles the home pattern and his companion starts trotting down the path cheerfully again.

The rest of the walk is silent, much to his surprise. He had expected long and forced conversation but there’s been no sound except for the footsteps behind him. Yori barks twice, signaling that they’re home and he knocks on the door five times. The door creaks as it opens and Tsukishima can visibly feel Akiteru come to a stop as he registers the person behind him. “Um...may I help you?” Akiteru asks and the tension in his voice hangs in the air.

“I’m Kuroo Tetsurou,” the man drawls from behind him. Tsukishima realizes that this is the first time he’s actually heard his name“I just came to make sure that he got home safely. His dog was acting up earlier.” Tsukishima nods. “Yori was whining and wouldn’t move,” he reported. “So he insisted on making sure that Yori wouldn’t act up again.” Akiteru relaxes and lets out a sigh of relief. “Sorry about that,” he rubs his head sheepishly. “I’ve just seen too many people take advantage of the fact that he’s blind. I had to make sure you weren’t doing the same too.”

“I’m Tsukishima Akiteru,” his brother introduces himself, all smiles and sunshine. “I’m sure my brat of a brother never bothered giving you his name, he’s Tsukishima Kei. Would you like to come in for some cake? I just bought some today, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind a piece.” Tsukishima does his best to display his betrayed face to his brother but he’s ignored as his brother doesn’t retract his offer. “I would love to,” Kuroo says cheerfully before he walks in the house. Tsukishima sighs in defeat before he enters his house as well.

Tsukishima escapes to his room and carefully searches for his headphones. He finds his drawer and runs his hands across it, knowing that his headphones are somewhere on there. His hands run into something solid and he finds the end of the chord before plugging it into the end of his phone.The playlist starts running and he uses the wall to lead himself to his bed before laying down. “Yori, up,” he calls and a warm bundle settles next to him. “Sorry,” he murmurs before slipping his headphones on. Yori only whines when he gets lonely and he got sidetracked at the hospital and failed to take proper care of him.

He curls around his partner and pets his back, giving him the attention he needs. Akiteru is probably being buttered up by Kuroo, whoever he is, and it pisses him off. It really only was an accident, so why does this ‘Kuroo’ keep chasing him down? He just wants to live peacefully the way he is now without people bothering him at every turn. Especially annoying people who can’t take a hint. This Kuroo Tetsurou certainly falls under that category.

What he wouldn’t give to go back in time and prevent their meeting somehow.

His eyes start to droop on him and he fights the urge to fall asleep, but his willpower fails him and he falls asleep. His arm rests over Yori who snuffles but falls asleep next to him. A few minutes later the door opens and Akiteru sticks his head in. “Kei?” He calls softly but there’s no reply. He pushes the door open the rest of the way and steps in the room, his footsteps light. “Looks like you’re all worn out for today, huh?” He says tenderly, brushing his hand against his hair. “Sleep well.” He stands up and takes his leave, closing the door tightly.

Kuroo watches him from where he sits with a slice of cake in front of him. “So your brother is blind?” He prompts and Akiteru supposes that his question is a little justified, if not obvious. “He lost his sight about twelve years ago,” Akiteru answers abruptly, hinting that he’s not going to expand on the topic. Kuroo seems to accept his answer and takes a bite. “I’m sure you’re suspicious as to why I decided to help him home,” Kuroo says suddenly. “And I’m sure you invited me in to interrogate me, not because you actually trust me.”

“Bingo,” Akiteru smiles, sitting down. “Since you know, there’s no need to beat around the bush right?” Kuroo grins, extremely catlike. “I accidentally knocked him over yesterday and I felt really bad,” he says honestly, even as he maintains a smirk on his face. “So I tried to make it up to him by buying coffee but he rejected me outright and I coincidentally saw him struggling with his guide dog today, so I offered my help.” Akiteru squints at him, feeling that something is off. “Are you interested in my brother?” He asks bluntly. Kuroo merely laughs at his question.

“I’m a good person,” he defends, polishing off the rest of his cake. Akiteru notices that he doesn’t directly answer the question. “So what does he do?” Kuroo asks casually and Akiteru decides to humor him as long as the questions don’t get personal. “He’s a doctor,” Akiteru answers, leaning forward on his elbows. “He managed to get this far on his own, I’m really proud of him,” he says fondly. “Oh? What’s his specialty?” He asks, his curiosity piped. “He works as a physical therapist.”

“Even though he’s blind?” He asks, intrigued. “He relies on touch alone,” Akiteru affirms. “It’s really a talent of his, he’s quite unique.” Kuroo leans back in his chair and whistles. “That’s quite impressive,” he compliments. “He’s really something,” he murmurs under his breath. Akiteru nods.

“Even with all the odds stacked against him, he climbed his way to the top.” Kuroo looks at Akiteru squarely. “Is that why he’s so sassy?” He asks with seriousness. “He throws shade at me so easily,” he sighs, “It’s really a tragedy.” Akiteru snickers. “That’s something that no one can avoid,” he responds. “Even me. He sassed me all the time when we were younger, it gave me early wrinkles,” he jokes. Kuroo  laughs along with him and Akiteru feels himself relaxing slightly. Kuroo doesn’t really seem like a bad person to him, and he did help Kei home safely without asking for a reward, so it makes him trustworthy to some degree.

They chat for a while, the time ticking by quickly. When Akiteru next checks the clock, three hours have passed and he startles. “I didn’t mean to keep you here so long,” he apologizes before standing up. “I’ll pack some cake for you to take back with you, wait a moment please,” he hurriedly moves to grab a container and put some cake into it.

“Ah, you really don’t have to,” Kuroo raises his hands to stop him but Akiteru shushes him with the authority of an older brother. “Just think of it as my treat for helping Kei,” he winks before he places the container in his hands and ushers him to the door. “It was nice meeting you, feel free to stop by once in a while since Kei certainly won’t initiate anything,” Akiteru smiles as Kuroo walks out the door, his hand raised in a lazy farewell. “I’ll definitely take you up on that offer sometime,” he calls back before he leaves. He’s certainly an interesting character and doesn’t seem to hold any malicious intent, so he hopes that Kuroo will become someone else Kei can rely on. After Yamaguchi’s death, Kei had totally distanced himself from the people around him and completely shut himself out. Akiteru knew it had been a hard blow on his younger brother, already having been rejected by his parents.

Akiteru sighs heavily and takes a seat in the kitchen, resting his head on his hands. To be honest, he’s really only co-existed with Kei in this house. Although they’re brothers they live merely like roommates and sometimes, he misses his little brother who used to chase after him when they were young children. He stands up and walks to the fridge and gently touches the picture hanging there.

Akiteru hopes that things will turn for the better soon.


	2. aiming for the skies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it's not too bad, but I'm on a tight schedule these days so I tried to whip out something decent.
> 
> Enjoy!

Tsukishima yawns. Although he had a nap yesterday it wasn’t quality sleep, and he feels like there’s rocks weighing him down. He’s in his office, waiting for Sugawara to give him his next assignment. 

Due to his condition, Ukai had devised a special system for him to file his reports and fill in documents. It sucks for him but he supposes that it really can’t be helped. A knock on his door tells him that it’s time to get moving. 

With a whistle, Yori trots over and places the leash into his open palm. The door opens and Tsukishima detects Sugawara’s distinct smell. “It’s your usual patient, they’re here for a checkup today,” he says and Tsukishima follows him silently to the room where Asahi is waiting to assist him. It doesn’t take long to check up on his patient’s knee and he moves onto the next person waiting for him. 

The rest of his morning is dull and soon enough, his lunch break comes around. He tries to avoid eating in public as much as he can since it’s embarrassing to have others watch him. He can feel the stares of the people around him and it makes him self conscious, causing his skin to itch. 

The only exception is the cafe since he goes there regularly and he always gets seated in the back where no one can really watch him. He’s learned how to eat with a fork and knife since chopsticks are too tricky but it’s awkward and messy. Normally he skips lunch but unfortunately, Akiteru had packed him lunch since he missed breakfast, so he has to deal with the problem of eating. 

He takes shelter in his office and painstakingly opens his lunch bento. The smell of pasta wafts towards him and he searches for his fork and picks it up. Yori is resting by his feet and as soon as he finishes eating, he kneels down onto the ground and gives some well deserved attention to his partner. He won’t let Yori get lonely again as running into another problem like before would be hard on both of them. Unfortunately his break ends too quickly and he’s called back to work before long. 

“Oi! Tsukishima!” Tsukishima scowls as Hinata’s voice reaches his ears. Loud footsteps approach him and Yori barks cheerfully. Hinata laughs as Yori playfully nips at his feet and Tsukishima taps his feet impatiently.

“What do you want?” He asks shortly. Hinata pouts at him although he’s jumping up and down in excitement. “There’s  _ the _ party this weekend,” he proclaims eagerly. “You know, where we all gather together and drink and play games and have fun!” Tsukishima grimaces at the thought. He usually skips the yearly ‘gathering’ they have, it requires too much socialization from him and overall, it’s just a big mess. 

“You’re gonna come this year right?” Hinata pressures him and Tsukishima is tempted to growl at him. “No,” he responds sharply before nudging Yori to start moving. “I’ll make sure you come,” Hinata yells loudly from behind him and Tsukishima ignores him like usual. 

“Stingyshima,” Hinata mumbles before spotting Kageyama and running off towards him, Tsukishima forgotten from his mind. Ukai yells at Hinata to stop running somewhere in the distance and is promptly ignored as well. 

Tsukishima’s thoughts stray to Kuroo Tetsurou. He hasn’t appeared in front of Tsukishima for about a week, and more often than not he finds himself thinking about his pleasant voice. He pinches his thigh to make himself stop thinking about such ridiculous things and moves on to his next patient. 

Ame is back, and she proudly shows him her healing wrist. Tsukishima praises her and offers her a sticker, which she gladly accepts. After she leaves, Tsukishima returns to his office since his schedule is currently empty for the rest of the day. He’s exhausted so he settles down on his personal cot with Yori curled up next to him. Ukai had graciously granted him a larger bed to accommodate his companion. 

These days he’s always rather tired. He feels jaded inside and while he enjoys helping his patients, he sometimes wonders if that’s his only purpose in life right now. Even then, he has bad days at work where he wants to leave early and go home. 

Suppressing these dark thoughts, Tsukishima turns onto his side and shuts his eyes, ready for a nap. Unfortunately he gets interrupted by his door slamming open and he startles in surprise. Yori doesn’t bark, so he knows that it’s someone familiar. 

“Tsukishima,” Sugawara’s voice reaches him. “There’s someone here who needs your help. They have a severe ankle injury, I’d like you to go examine them in five minutes.” Tsukishima groans and buries his face in the pillow. Sugawara merely laughs at his antics and steps inside. 

“You feeling okay?” He asks affectionately stroking his hair. Sugawara was one of the few people who knew the extent of Tsukishima’s background, and he had become Tsukishima’s self-imposed mom. “You’ve been looking tired since earlier.” 

“I’m fine,” Tsukishima mumbles. “I was just going to take a nap, that’s all.” Sugawara pats his back before walking back towards the door. “You can get your nap afterwards, maybe even clock out early today,” he calls over his shoulder. “Be ready in five minutes, Asahi will come by to get you.” Tsukishima sighs but resigns himself to his fate as he pulls himself into a sitting position. 

As promised, Asahi appears five minutes later and he sets off to treat his patient. 

“Tsukishima,” Asahi says nervously and Tsukishima wonders why Asahi always clammers up around him. “I think his ankle is fractured because it’s all swollen, so it’s probably best if you don’t touch it.” 

Tsukishima considers his words before shaking his head. “I’ll just use my fingertips,” he says before Asahi stops him in front of a door. “It will hurt a little but it’ll be quick.” Right before he pushes the door open, Tsukishima pauses. “What’s their name?” He inquires. 

Asahi shuffles through his papers. “Uh, I think it’s...Kuroo Tetsurou?” Tsukishima pauses, wondering if he heard him correctly. “Kuroo Tetsurou?” He repeats in disbelief but Asahi is already pushing the door open and guiding him inside. 

Much to his displeasure, a familiar smooth voice greets him with humor in his voice. “Dr. Tsukishima,” Kuroo says, his smirk evident in his tone. “It’s nice to meet you.” If Tsukishima could, he would have rolled his eyes at Kuroo but he rejects the urge and remains professional. 

“What seems to be the problem?” He asks in a cool tone. Normally he would have been a little warmer but he wants to be done as soon as possible. Asahi seems to sense his mood and shifts nervously from beside him.

“I injured my ankle,” Kuroo says cheerfully and the urge to smack him increases. “I could have figured out that much by myself,” Tsukishima says dryly. “Even though you can’t see?” Kuroo points out and he feels his temper ticking.

“I would like the specifics,” he says instead of rising to the bait. Kuroo is inexplicably lucky that he’s not sensitive about his eyes anymore. If he had said that to him three years ago, Tsukishima would have tried to punch him before treating him as a patient. Thankfully, he no longer holds such feelings.

Kuroo hesitates and Tsukishima already knows that he’s going to emit part of the truth. “I was riding my motorcycle and I had a bit of a hard landing,” he finally says and although Tsukishima isn’t satisfied with the half-truth he gets, he supposes it’s something that he can work with. “Right, I’m going to touch your ankle then,” he says and Asahi offers his hand sanitizer before he’s guided towards Kuroo’s injured ankle.

“Please let me know if it hurts,” he instructs. Asahi lets him feel the uninjured ankle first before he shifts over to the other ankle. It’s certainly swollen, and he’s pretty sure it’s fracture, but there’s another problem. Kuroo hisses in pain and he backs off. 

“We’ll have to take an x-ray to check for a fracture, which I’m sure you have,” Tsukishima says as he straightened himself up. “However, there’s a more pressing matter. The x-ray will determine this as well, but I believe you also have peroneal tendon subluxation.” Kuroo only blinks at him. “Uh, bless you?” 

Tsukishima sighs in exasperation. “No, thank you. I said a peroneal tendon subluxation. Essentially, the outside muscles of your ankle are injured. In most cases surgery is required, but it’s quite honestly a matter of time before I can really say. Go prepare the room for a x-ray scan of his left ankle,” Tsukishima directs his last words at Asahi who squeaks out a quick confirmation before darting out. Yori presses against his own ankles and he carefully kneels down before rubbing his head. 

“You’re quite talented, doctor,” Kuroo says from above him. “You barely felt my ankle and yet you managed to determine my injury?” Tsukishima snorts. “It’s only a speculation,” he answers in stride, deciding that it couldn’t hurt to humor him for a little bit. “The x-rays are what will give the final verdict.” Tsukishima doesn’t say anything after that, hoping it will deter him from pursuing any further conversation. 

Much to his displeasure, Kuroo continues talking. “How has Yori been?” He asks casually and Tsukishima tenses. “How do you know his name?” He asks sharply and Kuroo lets out an easy laugh that does nothing to reassure him. 

“Your brother mentioned it to me,” he offers as explanation and Tsukishima makes a mental note to chew out his brother later. Asahi suddenly pops his head in, saving Kuroo from an untimely demise.

“We’re ready for his x-rays,” Asahi says nervously and Tsukishima straightens up, holding on firmly to the leash. “Please follow Asahi, he’ll take you to the room and lead you back once you’re done,” he says diplomatically, holding back his temper. 

Kuroo leaves on his crutches without a word, so Tsukishima assumes that he just nodded in response as people often do that by accident around him. He finds a chair and waits patiently for Kuroo to be done, playing with the leash in one hand and petting Yori with the other. Time ticks by slowly and the clicking sound coming from the wall is slowly driving him insane. He tries to drone out the sound as he focuses on his thoughts. 

Is it just a coincidence that he met with Kuroo again? With the severity of that injury Tsukishima knows that it wasn’t intentional. No one would hurt themselves to that extent unless they had masochistic tendencies. Even if that happened to be the case, it was extreme. Maybe this is God’s form of revenge on him for being an unfaithful child.

He was never kind towards his parent, but he believes that their apathy towards him cancels out his “sin” of dishonoring his parents. He was a smart child but when he couldn’t up to his parents expectations, they dropped him faster than a stone. 

When the accident occurred and he was left in the darkness forever, they abandoned him and left him to survive on his own. Perhaps it was true he could have been a tad nicer to his parents, but even if an angel came down and proclaimed to him that he was going to Hell for disrespecting his parents, he wouldn’t care.

The door opens and Tsukishima startles. “I’m back,” Kuroo drawls. “Did you miss me blondie?” Tsukishima resists the urge to scowl and smiles pleasantly instead. “You were merely gone for about ten minutes,” he says. “Of course, I enjoyed every minute.” 

He knows instinctively that Kuroo isn’t offended and he’s proven right as Kuroo laughs openly a second later. The sound bounces off the walls and resounds nicely throughout the room. 

The two of them fall into a peaceful silence. With any other patient he would have initiated small talk, but with Kuroo, the silence wasn’t hard to keep. He’s only considerate towards his patients however. 

Once the door opens, he knows Asahi had returned with the report. “You were right,” Asahi says sheepishly, scratching his head. From his tone Tsukishima thinks that Asahi must have doubted him at the very beginning. “A small fracture along with peroneal tendon subluxation on his right ankle. For now placing it in a cast is ideally best, but he may need surgery after the bone is healed for his second injury.” 

Kuroo frowns, not liking the sound of what his fate might be. “Will I be able to walk normally again?” He asks lazily, as if it isn't a concern. The slight difference in his voice timbre is what gives his anxiety away. “If you listen to all of my instructions, I can promise a full recovery,” Tsukishima says sharply, drawing himself to his full height. “If you ignore even a single instruction, then your ankle will never fully recovery.” 

While it was true that he was exaggerating a little in order to ensure his cooperation, it was still true that his ankle was in severe danger. 

“I want you in a wheelchair,” Tsukishima instructs briskly. “No possible pressure on either foot as a precaution. Asahi will wrap a cast around your ankle, make sure you don’t get it wet when you shower or let water touch it in general.” 

Kuroo sighs in resignation before saluting, which Asahi smiles at. “Yes sir,” Kuroo says brightly, as if he hadn’t been restrained to a chair for several weeks. “I want you back in six weeks,” Tsukishima states and Asahi takes note of it. Kuroo sighs again, as if reality is finally settling in. 

“Our hospital can help you with getting a proper wheelchair if you don’t know where to go,” Asahi adds. “We can do it on the way out.” Kuroo nods and grabs his crutches. He moves towards the exit and just before he leaves, he stops. 

“I’ll be back to visit you soon, blondie,” he calls over his shoulder before making a hasty retreat. Tsukishima scowls before stretching out his gangly limbs and leaning heavily against his chair. He’s ready to go home.

-

The next day he returns to his office around mid morning and sets his bag down. When he checks his desk for any files from Ukai, he finds an odd bag. A sniff tells him it’s some kind of treat, although he’s not entirely sure of its identity. 

Tsukishima leaves it there untouched as he attends his daily duties. His daily rounds don’t take long and he doesn’t receive any new patients so he finishes early for the day. 

“Oi, Tsukishima!” Kageyama’s voice pierces through the air. “Did you get the package on your desk?” 

Tsukishima frowns, confused. “Did you give it to me?” He asks suspiciously. Kageyama would never voluntarily give him a present, so he wonders why he is asking. 

“What does it have to do with you?” Kageyama gives him a dirty look, or maybe it’s just his usual face. “Someone asked me to deliver it to you,” he says stiffly before walking off. Tsukishima wishes that he could have questioned him before he left but it’s too late now. Who could have left the treat on his desk? 

Well, at least he knows that it won’t kill him now. Even if he had a rough relationship with Kageyama, he wouldn’t intentionally give him something that would harm him. He had even beat someone up for trying to play a prank with food on him. It had been an odd day but he had been grateful for the intervention. 

He returns to where the present lays untouched and he wonders what he should do with it. Yori barks for the first time that day, clearly eager to taste the treat. Tsukishima doesn’t want to accidentally poison his companion so he reluctantly tries a bite. 

Much to his surprise, it’s just strawberry shortcake that melts quite nicely in his mouth. He wonders why he couldn’t detect it by smell earlier but shrugs it off, offering a piece of the bread to Yori. He happily licks it off his hand. 

When he inspects the bag with his hands, there’s something else inside. He sniffs it by itself and discovers that he’s holding a cookie. He sets it down, planning on  eating it later. 

This continues on for the next few weeks. When he checks in, there’s occasionally a small gift on his desk and he has absolutely no idea who is the giver. Nonetheless he shamelessly enjoys them, as they usually consist of desserts. Maybe one day he’ll find out who’s giving him all of these presents.

-

The next six weeks pass by uneventfully. When Tsukishima checks his schedule he spots Kuroo’s name for tomorrow evening. Much to his surprise, his thoughts had not been filled with the man while he was gone. Either way it’s a relief for him, so he pays no attention to it. 

When Kuroo rolls in through the door with an air of confidence, Tsukishima sighs. “Were you off your ankles for all six weeks?” He asks dryly. Kuroo merely laughs. 

“Of course I did,” he proclaims proudly. “I’m ready to be out of this chair,” he continues on and Tsukishima considers smacking his head against the wall. 

“You weren’t listening to me at all last time were you?” Tsukishima shakes his head in despair. “Right now, only your fracture is healed. You’re going to need several more weeks of recuperation, possibly surgery to completely heal your injury.” 

Kuroo wilts and the mood in the room seems to die with him. Not that there really was a mood in the first place. “So...no walking for a long time?” He asks, his voice downcast. Tsukishima snorts. 

“This is why you should be careful,” he chides. “This is my job, but I don’t do miracles. You need to take care of yourself so you don’t have to visit me. If you actually have to come here it’s a bad sign.” 

“I came here to see my favorite doctor,” Kuroo pouts, “and this is what I get? A rejection?” There’s a laugh from the corner of the room and he knows that it’s Sugawara.  Tsukishima’s cheeks heat up and he clears his throat. 

“Let’s see your ankle.” A hand guides him toward the bed where Kuroo is sitting, waiting for his examination. Yori had been left at home today as it was his usual check-up day, so Tsukishima’s been stuck with his walking cane and the help of others around him. 

He’s lucky that it’s Sugawara because of everyone here, he understands Tsukishima’s need for space. Once he finds Kuroo’s ankle, Sugawara releases him and lets him work. 

Tsukishima probes gently at the ankle and Kuroo lets out a small hiss of pain. “I thought it wouldn’t hurt anymore,” Kuroo grimaces and Tsukishima is tempted to smack his ankle. 

“Use the few brain cells you have and figure it out already,” he snaps before he’s back to poking at his ankle. 

Once he’s done, Sugawara guides him back to his chair. “It seems to be healing fine on its own, I think if you give it another month or so it’ll be alright. Then you’ll have to visit for therapy in order to get your ankle working properly.” 

Sugawara snickers as Kuroo buries his head in his hands, disheartened at the prospect of being stuck in the wheelchair for another month. “At least I’ll get to see a cute doctor, right?” He says outloud. Sugawara bursts into laughter and Tsukishima scowls. 

“Oh, did you like the gifts I left you?” Kuroo asks brightly and Tsukishima wonders what he’s talking about. It suddenly clicks in his mind that he doesn’t know who left all the gifts for him. 

“That was you?” He blurts out. Instead of Kuroo answering, it’s Sugawara who speaks up. “He actually asked me to drop them off at your office,” he admits without shame. “If I remember correctly, you enjoyed it a lot too,” Sugawara teases and Kuroo looks gleeful. 

“Is that true?” He smirks and Tsukishima wants to escape the room. 

“...yes,” he admits grudgingly. “You know how to pick good desserts.” Kuroo hums and the sound is warm and pleasant to his ears. 

“I actually made them,” he says, sounding very pleased with himself. “You look like a smug cat,” Sugawara comments under his breath. The hair wasn’t really helping the visual image either. 

“Anyways,” Tsukishima interrupts, hoping to bring the situation back under control, “Come back in a month and we’ll do a final check-up before I refer you to someone else for therapy.” He hopes that this will deter him from further conversation but it’s futile. 

“So, do you wanna go on a date with me?” Kuroo asks flirtatiously, staring hard at Tsukishima. Tsukishima shifts uncomfortably, feeling the force of his gaze on him. “No,” he answers bluntly but Kuroo’s mood doesn’t drop at all. If anything, it seems to get more excited. 

“I’ve always liked a challenge,” Kuroo rubs his hands together like a little kid expecting candy. Tsukishima has a bad feeling about this whole affair. 

“He really likes strawberries and dinosaurs,” Sugawara divulges precious information and Kuroo grins wickedly. “I knew I liked you,” he says to Sugawara with a serious face and he receives a beautifully innocent smile in return. 

“He needs it,” he mouths to Kuroo who nods in understanding. Truthfully, Sugawara has been concerned about Tsukishima recently. He’s been coming and leaving work listlessly, without any energy. Akiteru seems to have similar reservations and Sugawara wonders if this is what Tsukishima needs. 

It’s been far too long since Tsukishima has looked even remotely bright, and this short conversation with Kuroo has already done wonders. There’s still hope for him, or at least Sugawara believes so.

“Unbelievable,” Tsukishima mutters. “How could you betray me?” He accuses Sugawara who only shrugs. “You need to get laid sometime soon,” he says jokingly and Tsukishima draws the line there. 

“Alright, I’m out,” he announces loudly as he reaches for his cane and starts to walk towards the exit. Sugawara places a warm hand on his back and helps him out, mouthing good luck to Kuroo as they leave the room. Kuroo gives a small salute. 

-

The next day, Tsukishima chucks the files in Kuroo’s general direction and nods as he hears a satisfying cry of pain. 

“I hate roses,” he says. “You’ll have to do better than that. Also, don’t appear for no reason while I’m working!” 

-

Tsukishima sniffs and grudgingly agrees that these are much more pleasant. 

“So, will you go out on a date with me?” Kuroo asks hopefully as he eyes the Chrysanthemums. He makes a mental promise to become a regular at the flower shop if this works. 

“Keep dreaming,” Tsukishima brusquely and continues working. Kuroo decides he’s never going back. 

-

“Come on, even Yori likes me,” Kuroo whines, pouting like a little kid. Tsukishima frowns in betrayal as Yori enjoys the lavish attention Kuroo gives him 

“Traitor,” he mutters. 

-

“I brought your favorite today,” Kuroo wheedles, holding the strawberry shortcake like a sacrifice. 

Tsukishima considers it and shrugs. “I’d take it, but my answer is still no,” he informs him. 

Kuroo sighs before setting the cake down. 

“You can have it anyways,” he says, looking discouraged but he slaps his own cheeks and takes on a determined look. 

“I’ll steal your heart soon enough KeiKei,” he sings and Tsukishima scowls. He seems to be doing that a lot these days. 

“Don’t call me that.” 

-

“Are you ever going to give up?” Tsukishima asks with thinly veiled curiosity and Kuroo shrugs from behind the giant stuffed dino. 

“Nope. Here.” Tsukishima takes the dino, only to relieve Kuroo of his burden. Or so he tells himself. The dino is nice and soft, and he actually rather likes it even though he can’t really see it.

“Just one date,” Kuroo wheedles. For the first time, Tsukishima considers it seriously. It wouldn’t hurt to give in for one date, right? 

After all, Kuroo’s really been spoiling him with all these presents and he does feel a little bad about all the money he’s probably wasted. 

“Fine. One date.” Tsukishima concedes. A sudden whoop startles him and he nearly trips over his own feet. Yori senses the mood and starts to bark excitedly alongside with Kuroo. 

Tsukishima groans and puts his head in his hands. “Can you please  _ shut up!”  _

-

“You’re going on a date,” Akiteru crows and Tsukishima would have rolled his eyes if he could. 

“Yes, and so has everyone else,” he says irritatedly. Akiteru shakes his finger at his brother, forgetting that he can’t see it.. 

“But it’s  _ you _ , I was sure I’d never see you go out with anyone. Ever.” Akiteru swoons and places a hand over his heart. 

“My poor Kei,” he says dramatically. “Being seduced and taken away from his brother, what a cruel world this is.” Tsukishima snorts and whistles, causing Yori to bound to him and hand him the leash. “Bye,” he calls dismissively over his shoulder as Yori leads him out of the house. 

“It’s my cute doctor,” a voice teases him and Tsukishima sighs. “Stop calling me cute,” he responds crossly and he flinches when something grasps his wrist. 

“Ah, sorry, I should’ve asked,” Kuroo says apologetically, retracting his hand. “I was going to offer to lead you around so Yori could stay at home.” 

“No thank you,” Tsukishima rejects immediately. “Yori will do just fine,  _ like usual, _ ” he emphasizes. He doesn’t need to be lead around like he’s useless. He’s just blind, not dumb. “Sorry,” Kuroo says but he doesn’t sound deterred at all. “Well, let’s get going! I have a lot planned for today,” Kuroo says eagerly. 

Tsukishima lets himself be dragged around. Kuroo had actually prepared a lot, much to his surprise. They had stopped by a museum that accommodated for blind people and he had enjoyed it more than he expected. Afterwards he had been graciously treated to cake and coffee, and then they had stopped by a shelter for pets. Yori had yipped excitedly before running off to play and Tsukishima met several eager puppys. 

He lets out a soft laugh as one licks his face and he rubs its chin. This particular seems to have taken a liking to him and the puppy nuzzles their cheeks together. Unbeknownst to him, Kuroo is sitting in the corner and watching him with a fond smile. His instinct had once again led him in the right direction. 

Tsukishima knows that he shouldn’t waste their time here and reluctantly stands up. The puppy whines at his feet, disappointed. “It was nice meeting you,” he murmurs, reaching down to pat her head before whistling. Yori bounds over and presses against his legs. 

“Thank you,” Tsukishima says quietly as they leave the building. “I...enjoyed myself today.” Instead of acting smug, as he expected, Kuroo merely lets out a lighthearted laugh. “Does that mean I can take you out a second time?” He asks hopefully and Tsukishima pretends to ponder it for a few seconds. He can feel Kuroo’s willpower dying away and he sniggers.

“Yes,” he says. “I suppose a second date couldn’t hurt.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a busy high school student so I can't promise updates in certain time intervals, but I can promise long chapters. 
> 
> Thanks for reading~


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